Investigators Comb Phone Records in Murders of Russell, Shirley Dermond

PHOTO: Shirley and Russell Dermond, a retired couple who lived on Lake Oconee, were murdered in their home three months ago. A cold-case squad from Florida recently reviewed the case.

Seven months have passed since Russell Dermond was beheaded at his Lake Oconee home and his wife, Shirley, was killed and her body dumped in the lake.

Putnam County investigators have worked continuously since then to find suspects in the grisly slayings, that happened sometime over the weekend of May 2. Now, the county sheriff tells WSB TV his office is wading through a new round of evidence: phone records.

Sheriff Howard Sills told the TV station that his office has received tens of thousands of pages worth of phone records from the six months before the Dermonds were murdered. Investigators are also combing through similar phone records to anyone associated with the slain couple.

The Gwinnett County district attorney’s office is using special software to help analyze the data in hopes that the logs will uncover clues.

Russell Dermond, 88, was beheaded in his home on Lake Oconee and his body was found on May 6 when friends went to the couple’s home. His head has not been recovered.

Shirley Dermond, 87, was missing at the time. Her body was found two weeks later, in Lake Oconee, Patch earlier reported. She had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was dead before her body was dumped into the lake.

Investigators still have no suspects, and no motive, in the double murder.

Russell Dermond had worked for clockmaking companies until the late 1980s, when he ran a chain of Atlanta-area Hardee’s restaurants, WSB reports. About 15 years ago, the couple moved to Lake Oconee to enjoy life in a golf-course community in a waterfront home.

Sills previousy told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he believes the Dermonds were “at least minimally acquainted with whoever did this. That’s an assumption, coupled with some physical evidence,” he said.

The attackers didn’t use force to enter the couple’s lakeside home. Investigators said Shirley Dermond’s wallet, cellphone, purse and car were all left behind.

A $55,000 reward is being offered to help solve the case, but has not yet generated any suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 404-679-9000 or the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 706-485-8557.

See also:

Police: Husband Beheaded, Wife May Have Been Kidnapped

Vigil Set for Beheaded Man, Kidnapped Wife

Shirley Dermond’s Body Found in Lake; Hunt Continues for Suspect in Husband’s Beheading

$30,000 Reward for Leads to Killer of Russell and Shirley Dermond

Cold-Case Team Studies Murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond